| Isabela | Paloma | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God is my oath | dove |
| Origin | spanish | spanish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | ee-sah-BEH-lah | pah-LO-mah |
| Syllables | 4 | 3 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1921 |
| Peak year | 2004 (695) | 2009 (411) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 343 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Isabela | Paloma |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 2,496 | 1,741 |
| 2010s | 3,961 | 3,230 |
| 2000s | 5,336 | 3,065 |
| 1990s | 846 | 1,877 |
| 1980s | 59 | 699 |
| 1970s | 0 | 131 |
| 1960s | 0 | 5 |
| 1920s | 0 | 17 |
A Spanish form of Isabel, which arose in medieval Iberia and Provence as a variant of Elizabeth, from the Hebrew Elisheva 'my God is an oath' (or 'God is abundance'). It became a royal name in Spain, Portugal and England.
The Spanish word for 'dove', from the Latin palumbes 'wood pigeon, dove'. It carries a Marian and Christian resonance (the dove as a symbol of the Holy Spirit and of peace) and appears in the title Virgen de la Paloma.
Paloma is more popular than Isabela today: about 343 US babies were given the name Paloma in 2025, compared with 0 named Isabela.
Isabela means God is my oath (spanish origin), while Paloma means dove (spanish origin).
In US records, Isabela first appears in 0 and Paloma in 1921, so Isabela has the longer recorded history.